Inside Yang Qingxi’s villa, Su Mo lay sprawled across the sofa in a posture that could only be described as a perfect balance between comfort and complete disregard for decorum. One arm dangled off the side, the other lazily holding his phone as his thumb moved across the screen without focus.
"I’m bored."
The words ca out flat, devoid of emotion, as if boredom itself had beco a chronic condition.
With his current state of mind, it might actually happen.
His thoughts wandered to Ye Chen.
’Sending him to the police... was that really the best choice?’
’How am I supposed to ss with him if he’s rotting in jail?’
A pause.
’...Or should I ss with him in jail?’
His eyes narrowed slightly.
’I could manipulate a dead criminal. Turn him into a Corpse Puppet. Transfer my consciousness. Walk into prison myself...’
Another pause.
’Yeah. That’s doable.’
Su Mo stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before dismissing the thought.
’Too troubleso.’
There was no need to go that far. Given Ye Chen’s nature, he might even attempt a prison break. That would be far more interesting.
’’Wait... has he even been transferred yet?’
With a lazy shift in focus, Su Mo connected to the insect attached to Song Jinyu.
’Hmm. Court proceedings. Evidence was conclusive. Unless Ye Chen escaped midway, he would be transferred to prison by tomorrow.’
"Mm. Good."
Just then, footsteps approached.
Zhang Xulin walked into the living room, her brows slightly furrowed as she looked at the sight of him lazing around yet again.
"You really just lie around all day," she said. "Why don’t you do sothing productive for once?"
Su Mo didn’t even bother turning his head.
"I don’t need to be productive every day," he replied casually. "Doing a fine job once in a while is more than enough to satisfy my employer."
At his retort, her lips pressed together.
Yesterday, because of him, they’d breezed through the tomb as if it were a public park. Then later, at the bar, Su Mo had quietly handled sothing for Miss Yang—sothing Zhang Xulin still didn’t fully understand.
He made it all look... effortless.
That thought weighed on her chest.
She fell silent.
Getting no response from her, Su Mo was confused. With visible reluctance, he tilted his head and glanced at her with half-lidded eyes.
She stood there quietly with an unfocused gaze and tensed shoulders, as if sothing heavy was pressing down on her chest. The confidence she usually carried was nowhere to be seen, leaving behind a lost, almost fragile look.
Like an abandoned puppy. Aggrieved. On the verge of breaking down.
’...What now?’
’She was fine a second ago.’
Won truly were incomprehensible. One mont laughing and trading sarcasm. The next, drowning in emotions without warning.
’Sigh. What a ss.’
Since guessing would lead nowhere, he smoothly shifted the topic.
"So," he said, tone lazy as ever, "where’d you go just now? You left in a hurry."
Zhang Xulin blinked and snapped back to reality. She walked over and sat down on the sofa opposite him.
"I went to see Brother Hua."
"Yang Zhen’s driver?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I recomnded him to a hair clinic I’m familiar with."
"...You’re really thorough."
"Of course, it’s necessary." She snorted, then glanced toward the stairs. "By the way, it’s already been three hours since Young Miss dragged Young Master into the study. Aren’t they done yet?"
Su Mo tilted his head toward the ceiling and chuckled.
"They’ll probably take a while."
Through his sharp hearing, Yang Qingxi’s voice was clear to him; to his surprise, she was scolding without pause. Before today, he didn’t know Miss Yang could speak so much at once. Even her use of vocabulary was quite interesting.
’Disgracing the family na.’
’Useless waste.’
’Do you know how much trouble you caused?’
"Those siblings are bonding nicely," Su Mo said lazily. "Brother Zhen’s emotions are really overflowing. I think he’s tearing up."
Zhang Xulin rolled her eyes.
’Tearing up? More like being torn apart.’
She didn’t even need to guess what was happening inside. This wasn’t the first ti Yang Zhen had been subjected to such treatnt.
Whether it would actually change anything, though, was another matter entirely.
She shook her head, deciding it was best not to get involved, then suddenly looked back at Su Mo. Her gaze firm, voice quieter, almost pleading.
"Su Mo... can you help beco stronger?"
The shift in her tone made him pause. He put his phone aside and straightened slightly.
"You an," he said calmly, "help you enter the path of cultivation?"
She hesitated for a mont before nodding.
"Yes. Back at the tomb, you said you had a way for to practice the Berserker Breathing Sutra. I know this is a difficult request. Helping soone unrelated to you... But I truly want to beco stronger. I don’t want to be useless. I want to protect Young Miss."
Her fingers tightened unconsciously.
"I’m willing to pay any price. Even if—"
"No need," Su Mo interrupted, cutting off her words.
She froze.
"I can teach you."
"...Really?" Her eyes widened. "I can pay any price—"
"But," Su Mo continued, interrupting her once again, his expression turning serious, "my thod is strict."
"It’s painful."
"You’ll feel like your body doesn’t belong to you anymore."
"It’ll put you at death’s door—again and again."
He wasn’t exaggerating. He was stating the reality of that technique.
"Even so," he asked, "are you willing?"
Zhang Xulin didn’t hesitate.
"I do!"
Her face flushed, eyes shining with excitent.
Su Mo stared at her.
...What with ’I do’?
This wasn’t a marriage proposal.
A simple yes would’ve sufficed.
And why was she blushing? Did she truly understand what kind of training awaited her?
Why did she look... eager?
’Don’t tell she’s secretly—’
He stopped himself from thinking further.
Whatever.
If she truly had that kind of endurance, it might even accelerate her progress.
"Very well," he said, standing up. "Since you’re determined, there’s no point waiting."
"Let’s start now."
He walked toward the back garden.
"Yes."
Zhang Xulin followed behind him, her steps steady, determination burning quietly in her chest.
---
anwhile, in the study.
Yang Zhen felt his soul leave his body the mont his sister finally stopped talking.
’Finally...’
Three hours.
A full three hours of relentless scolding.
Before this, her lectures had never exceeded thirty minutes. Did she not get tired?
Still, he endured everything. Because now he could finally ask what he had been waiting for.
"Sis," he asked, voice cautious but sincere, "can you teach how to beco as aweso as you?"
Yang Qingxi, who had just taken a sip of water to moisten her throat, froze.
"...?"
Had he finally been scolded stupid?
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